10 Things People Ask You When You Tell Them You’re Vegan By Adam Stansbury

Adam Stansbury shares what he says to people when they pose the most commonly asked vegan related questions.

Adam Stansbury, aka The Plant Powered PT is on a mission to transform bodies across the country by helping men and women get fit, strong and healthy, all whilst on a plant-based, vegan diet. Today he takes us through the questions he is most commonly asked and reveals how he replies to the doubters, the sceptics, the aspiring vegans and the curious.

Adam Stansbury

Where do you get your protein?

From plants of course, where do you think the animals you eat get their protein from?

We're protein obsessed these days but in reality 1-2g per kg of bodyweight is plenty. Only aim for the upper end of that if you need to support growth, performance and recovery.

"No one cares about your protein intake until you tell them you're vegan."

Will you be able to build muscle?

Absolutely, the same rules apply. So if I'm getting adequate amounts of amino acids (protein) from plants or animals and I'm providing the right stimulus through weight training, with adequate recovery then the ability to add muscle will come down more to your genetics than your protein source.

Recently I put on 1KG of muscle in under 21 days on cycle 2 of my 21 Day Plant Powered Shred Program, proving there's no limitations.

Have you lost your strength?

When I first went vegan I lost about 4kg as my body adjusted, but I quickly regained all of that back, along with my strength in the gym. I've found that supplementing with Creatine around my workouts has made a big difference in helping me to maintain size and strength, due to a lack of natural Creatine in a plant based diet.

Are you worried about nutrient deficiencies?

In a word 'no', just because people eat meat it doesn't mean that they are not deficient in nutrients, it just means they're not deficient in protein but there's a whole host of vital micronutrients that we all need.

Yes there's potential risks such as Iron, DHA, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin B12 but they can all be ingested from plant based foods either naturally or in fortified products.

B12 is the only one that requires more attention as it is harder to obtain for Vegans but the key is to get yourself tested first because we don't all use and store nutrients at the same rate.

Have you thrown all your old clothes away? (Leather etc.)

Absolutely not, I still wear the odd item of clothing that may have been derived from animals that I bought before going vegan, until they are worn out and then I replace them with vegan friendly clothing.

If I was to throw away clothes then I would see that as not only a disrespect to the animal that died for them but also a huge waste.

Do you miss meat?

Funnily enough no! Take into account when I decided to start reducing my meat consumption and move to a plant based diet I was eating steak for breakfast, chicken in all my meals and whey protein shakes throughout the day, but my reasons for making the change ran so deeply with animal welfare that once I knew the facts, acknowledged what was going on, it was easy for me to move on.

The only thing I did crave for a while was actually smoked salmon but that didn't last long.

How did you give up cheese?

I just stopped eating it, simple!

Dairy and cheese in particular are difficult for many to give up, because they are found in so many of our foods but they are also the one food group that effect many people's overall health and body composition.

I never ate a huge amount of cheese myself but whenever I did, it didn't feel right, it felt hard to digest and didn't leave me feeling full of energy, and I would gain weight easily.

There's a growing number of really good vegan cheeses on the market now, some of which melt and taste amazing, Sainsbury's even have their own range now, the cheese toastie lives on!

How do you find the time to make all your food?

Anybody who prioritises nutrition in their daily lives will need to prepare food in advance, whether plant based or not.

If I'm out of the house all day and won't be back home then I'm a fan of preparing my food for the day when I make my breakfast in the morning, it fits in well with my lifestyle that way but there are many options out there if you need to eat on the go.

Companies like Pret A Manger are leading the way from the high street with many different vegan options now available which is perfect if you really are struggling for time.

Don't plants have feelings too?

Actually while I am a believer in plant consciousness and the spirit found in all life including plants, they don't actually have a central nervous system, therefore would not experience pain, at least not in the same way that we do, but maybe science will prove that wrong one day.

Why do you feel the need to tell everyone you're vegan?

When you're in the minority and most socialising occurs in venues that have little or no vegan options, you do tend to stand out because of your food choices and that then becomes a topic of conversation, trust me much of the time it's unwanted attention.

Most vegans also feel very passionately about animal welfare, which makes it really difficult to bite your tongue, especially when confronted with someone who may not be operating on the same level of consciousness that you are, but it's easy to fall prey to sarcastic banter, so watch out!